Method of producing composite pictures



Jan; 28, 1936. c. G. BRIEL METHOD OF PRODUCING COHPO'SITE PICTURES Filed Oct. 12, 1931 I. 5 M VG J m M Patented Jan. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES METHOD OF PRODUCING COMPOSITE PICTURES Conrad'G. Briel, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Cinema Development Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application October 12, 1931, Serial No. 568,384

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of producing composite pictures in photography.

More particularly, this invention relates to a method of producing composite photographs embodying two or more component parts, that includes placing the components in superposed relation and illuminating them with light with which they are respectively; illuminable, and by ,a singleexposure producing a composite picture. The desirability of producing composite photographs is particularly marked in the motion picture art, but the invention herein described is not limited tothis art alone but may be used generally in photography. Two or more original 5 scenes or components may be composed into a single picture by the use of film transparencies, one comprising a selected background and the other comprising a selected foreground action, which are superposed and photographed, broadly both components having their images rendered sufficiently opaque to but reflective of light, the specific disclosure including, however, a coating, or like element, applied to the images, either manually, mechanically, chemically or photographically, which imparts to the images the desirable characteristic of opacity, while the images may be either chemically treated, or other-' wise provided, to be reflective of light, so that when both components are superposed and illuminated by reflection, a composite photograph may be produced. I

Specifically, I have found that if the ordinary black and white diapositives are used, the silver images may be treated, if so desired, say'by 35 bleaching to a whiteness, to be reflective of light. A coating may be then'applied to secure the opacity desirable and illumination by reflection of both the background and the foreground components obtained. As specifically described and 40 claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No.

532,840, filed April 25, 1 931, the coating on the foreground, or, in fact, on both components, as described in the present case, may be obtained by treating the images after they have been .bleached to a whiteness, as by partly redeveloping the" film. This will provide a backing on the images which will be sufllciently opaque to transmitted light.

In this case, transmitted light is not employed to illuminate the background, as disclosed in said copending application, but after both components are arranged in superposed relation, they are illuminated by reflection, which advantageously permits accurate contrast control and provides for an accurate, rapid and inexpensive method of producing composite pictures.

In order to apprise those skilled in the art how to practice my invention, I shall now describe several preferred embodiments thereof in con- 5 nection with the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof.

- In the drawing: I

Figure 1 illustrates one of the various ways of placing a treated foreground film adjacent to a 10 treated background film, and controlling the illumination to permit photographing by a single exposure;

Fig, 2 is a similar illustration showing an alternative'embodiment of the present invention; 5

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a positive background scene, the film being that usually employed in photographing and having its image made reflective of light and provided with an opaque and non-actinic coating over the entire 20 film on one side, thus making the image negative in character; a

Fig. 4 is a positive image on a film to be used as a foreground, the image having been made reflective of light' and provided with an opaque 25 and non-actlnic coating over the image area, producing thereby an image negative in character; K

Fig. 5 is the same treated image shown in Fig.

4, but looking at the opposite or emulsion side to 30 show the opaque and non-actinic coating over the image;

Fig. 6 illustrates a finished positive composite picture carrying the images of the,foreground and the background thereon as a complete 1210- ture;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate additional alternative embodiments of the invention; and

Fig. 10 illustrates a foreground film having its image made opaque 'by treating the image itself. 40

The components used maybe the usual blackand white diapositives, such as the ordinary cinema projecting film, or plates used in still photography, or they may be paintings, depending upon the characters or images to be combined and the superposing to be done.

When the extensively used present-day film is developed, the images are formed by fixation of innumerable minute particles of metallic silver embodied in the gelatin of the photographic emulsion; there being relatively more silver particles in the shadows than in the high-lights, but somewhat uniformly distributed throughout the depth ofth photographic emulsion.

The present invention is very well adapted to this type of photographic film, but it will be understood that the invention might well be applied to other film where the images are produced in a different manner or have different physical characteristics.

As shown in the drawing, the background may be scenery, or other objects in the form of a painting or photographic film, a positive print I c of the background being shown in Fig. 3.

As a specific example, the foreground film Ii shown in Fig. '4 also may be a painting or the usual diapositive, such as the ordinary cinema projecting film, having the area i2 about the image I3 transparent and the image I3 compris ing metallic silver imbedded in the photographic emulsion carried by the based the film. The action or objects, of which foreground image i3 is composed, may be photographed in front of a white ground, so that, when a positive print is made from the negative, the area about the image will be transparent-or relatively free from silver deposit.

While one of the featuresof the present invention resides in making the background image and the foreground image varyingly reflective of light, it will be understood that the same results may be accomplished where these images are either inherently reflective of light or have otherwise been previously treated to be reflective of light for any purpose whatsoever.. This step may be accomplished by bleaching the silver image in any well known way so that the images will be changed into a light figure or into a substance which reflects light. t

I do not wish to be limited to the particular way the invention is accomplished; but suggest bleaching ,these images to a whiteness as one method of obtaining the desired results, the density of the whiteness va according to the density of the metallic-silver, with a corresponding variation of reflectivity for light to effect a correct reproduction of the images and their details when photographed upon film l4.

Bleaching a. silver image on a film is a step well known in the art: As an example, I suggest the use of a re-agent comprising mercuric chloride and potassium brcmide,-which changes the metallic silver into a complex silver mercury bromide. The density of the image. may be somewhat built up in the bleaching action, but this is not necessary for the purpose of the present invention, because it may be said that it is quite desirable to control the ihtensification of the image and even restrict it as much as possible so that the density and contrast of the image will remain quite uniform throughout the steps of the process. 1

A relatively opaque or non-actinic coating is may then be applied to foreground image i3, and a similar coating it, maybe applied to the rear surface of background film It. By the term rear surface I mean the surface that is away from and not facing lens .l'l ofcamera l8. Both coatings, i5 and I8 may be applied tothe images of .the foreground and background components,

either manually, mechanically, chemically, optically, photographically, or electrolytically.

Figure 5 illustrates the bleached image I13 after it has been coated by opaque substance l5, and is a ,view looking at the emulsion side of the foreground film II to show that this coating l5 may be applied to the image upon'the emulsion side, although not necessarily so, inasmuch as it may be applied to thebase side'when the occasion may require it. Opaque or non-actinic coating aoaasea It may be applied to background component ill in many diiferent ways, a's'shown in Figs. 1, 2, 7 and '8, and as will be later explained.

The next step in the method herein disclosed consists in placing both background component it and foreground component I I, after they have geen bleached and treated, in superposed rela- As illustrated in the drawing, background component i and foreground component I i need not be in actual contact but may be arranged in suitable position and in one focal plane of lens ll of camera is, while unexposed film I may be arranged in the other focal plane of the lens i'l. By proper lighting effects, these films may be illuminated so that they may be photographed by camera i8 or otherwise exposed to film l4 and a composite picture produced upon film I4, which in this case will be a positive. The particular step of illuminating'films HIV and il may be varied from that shown in the drawing, but, as illustrated, it is preferred to use a light or lights i9 to illuminate the background component It and the foreground component H by reflected light. The illuminating light or lights I9 may be placed in any-suitable position to secure the desired results. It is possible to space the components a vsuitable distance apart and employ separate illuminators for illuminating background component. 10 and foreground component i i. If an arrangement is usedwhlch is shown in the drawing, the rays of light from illuminators i9 will pass through the clear area ll of foreground component H, strike the image of background component In and be reflected back through this clear area l2 of film i I, except where the foreground image l3 appears thereon, thereby effecting illumination of the background component by reflection. Coating l serves to prevent the passage of reflected light from the background fllm it through the foreground image area, while the bleaching of the foreground image presents the effect of varyingly reflecting the rays of light from illuminators I9 so that the details of the foreground image i3 will also appear clear and ,distinct in the composite picture of film It. The particular relative arrangement of background component It) and foreground component ll may vary with respect to each other, but specifically the emulsion sides of these films may face each other as shown in Fig. 1, the emulsion side of film I I being away from lens l1 and the celluloid side of II facing this lens.

, Bleaching the images of the background positive it, as shown in Fig. 3, and the image of the need only be suchas will be relatively opaque or opaque and nori-actinic, that is to say, ab-,

other methods or means without departing from the scope of the invention.

In so far as the steps of bleaching and the use of cbatings-are concerned, it is evident to one skilled in the art that they may be varied or modified considerably without departing from the broad concept of my invention. Producing composite pictures with the present method is extremely simple, rapid and inexpensive, because it eliminates the use of mats and tedious blocking out, as practiced in the methods heretofore known.

When more broadly considered, the invention is not to be limited to the initial step of bleaching the'images to a whiteness, because it is obvious that the same results may be had, where these images either are inherently reflective of light or have otherwise been previously treated to be reflective of light for any purposewhatsoever, so that the necessary opacity may be subsequently obtained by the treatment of the images or the application of relatively opaque or non-actinic coatings thereto.

As one example, the necessary opacity of the foreground image it may be subsequently obtained by the treatment of the image in a manner disclosed and claimed in the aforesaid copending application, wherein foreground film ll may be redeveloped so that the image it will be partly redeveloped to provide an opaque backing 263 on this image, as shown in Fig. 10. In certain instances, it might be likewise desirable to treat the background filmin like manner to secure varying reflectivity to show image detail.

It is found that the same results may be obtained, in the combination herein disclosed, without applying an opaque coating 56 to the background component lt. Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 9. The background component i8 is arranged in this particular case in superposed relation with foreground film ii and within a compartment having non-actinic walls 2 i, so that the rays of light from the illuminators l9, which are not reflected back by the image on the background component, are absorbed, in the same manner as where coating It is employed, in order to show by reflection the details of the background image.

In instances where coating it is employed,.it may be applied to the background component it) in a number of diflerent ways, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, '7 and 8. I

In Fig. l, coating i6 is arranged in optical contact with the bleached background image and as a substratum over the entire film between'the celluloid base 22 and the emulsion 23. If the emulsion of the background film it and the foreground film li face each other, as shown in'Fig. 2, coating i8 may also be applied over the entire area of. the celluloid base 22 so that the background image is spaced from this opaquecoating l6 by the celluloid base 22.

It will be understood that although I have described thepresent invention in connection with the standard photographic film, wherein the sensitive photographic material is carried upon a base, such as celluloid, any type of film may be used and a celluloid base is not essential. In Fig. 7, the emulsion is shown carried upon a base of black material 26. This material may be any suitable substance, such as paper, and may serve the same purpose as coating it.

'In Fig. 8, I have shown an arrangement embodylng the application of coating It to the emulsion 23 of backgroundcomponent iii an that the celluloid base 22 is arranged to face the fore ground component I l.

In the drawing, the photographic emulsion is shown considerably thicker in cross section than the celluloid base contrary to the actual proportions generally used in the ordinary photographic film, but it will be understood that this showing is made for the purpose of illustration only, that these proportions may vary,.and that the proportions of the standard photographic film are also contemplated.

Other advantages and objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and therefore I do not .wish to be limited to the exact details or steps described and shown herein, since many modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. The method of producing a composite photograph of the images on two component film transparencies which includes making the images on both transparencies substantially opaque tobut reflective of light to show the image details, superposing the two transparencies and illuminating the images by reflectedlight, and exposing a fresh actinic surface to both images so illuminated and superposed.

2. The method of producing a composite photograph of the images on two component film transparencies which includes making the images on both transparencies substantially opaque to but reflective of light to show the image details, superposing the two transparencies and illuminating the images by light with which they are respectively illuminable, and exposing a fresh actinic surface to both images so illuminated and superposed.

3. The method of producing a composite photograph of the images on two component film transparencies which includes providing one of the transparencies substantially opaque to but reflective of light, making the image on the other transparency substantially opaque to but reflective of light, superposing the two transparencies and illuminating the images bylight with which theyare respectively illuminable, and exposing a fresh actinic surface to both images.

4. The method of producing a composite photograph of the images on two films which includes chemically treating the images of both films and thereby producing images of a light reflective character, further treating the images to produce backings thereon which are relatively non-actinic to light, superposing the two films and illuminating the images by reflected light, and exposing a fresh actinic surface to the two images so illuminated and superposed.

5. The method of producing a composite photograph embodying two component parts which includes making photographic silver deposit images of the two components surrounded by clear grounds, chemically transforming the silver deposits of said images and thereby producing images of a light reflective character, providing relatively-non-actinic backings for said images, superposing the two images and illuminating them by reflected light, and exposing a fresh actinic surface to the two images so illuminated and superposed.

6. The method of producing a composite photograph embodying two components which includes providing photographic images of both components, treating the images of both components,

including the provision of backings for the images, to'make them opaque to but reflec ive of light, superposing the two images and illuminating them by reflected light, and exposing 'a fresh 'actinic surface to the two images so illuminated and superposed.

7. The method of producing a composite photoing a fresh actinic surface to the two images so illuminated and superposed.

8. The method of producing a composite photograph of the images on two component film transparencies, one appearing as eforeground and the other as a background upon the composite, which includes making the photographic images on both transparencies illuminable by reflected light, superposing the two transparencies and illuminating the images by reflected light, and exposing a fresh actinic surface to the two images so illuminated and superposed.

. 9. The method of producing a composite photograph embodying two component parts, one appeering as a foreground and the other as a background upon the composite, which includes mak-' ing photographic images'of both components,

chemically treating the two images to transform and exposing a fresh actinic surface to the images aoaasea them into images of alight reflective'character, providing a non-actinic backing for the image of the foreground component, providing a nonactinic backing at the rear and over the entire a fresh actinic surface to the superposed images.

10. The method of producing a composite photograph embodying two component parts, one appearing as a foreground and the other as a background upon the composite, which includes making photographicsilver deposit images of both components, chemically transforming the silver deposits of the images and thereby producing 15 images substantiaily opaque to but-reflective of light to show their image details, superposing the images and illuminating them by reflected light,

so superposed and illuminated.

11. The method of producing a composite photograph of the images on two component film transparencies which includes superposing the images on the two transparencies, both of the images being opaque to but reflective of light, 25 iliuminating the images by reflected light, and eerposing a fresh actinic surface to the images.

CONRAD G. BREEL. 

